Joshua Rene pledges to be team player, open to public if elected

Joshua Rene is running for council in the Oct. 27 municipal election. Rene filed in January, withdrew for family reasons but is now back on the ballot.

By Ron Giofu

Joshua Rene may be the youngest candidate to be running for council thus far and he wants to be the most accessible to the public as well.

The 23-year-old councillor candidate said he not only wants to bring his ideas to the council table but wants to ensure the ideas of the community are brought there as well.

“I want to run a campaign which says ‘what do you want to fix or change’,” said Rene. “I could say what needs to be changed but it’s a collective decision.”

Rene said is open-minded, accessible and easy to talk to and wants people to voice their ideas and opinions to him.

“I want to be a candidate that is very accessible to people,” he said. “I want people to give me a call, show up at my door or stop me and say what needs to be changed. I want to hear from everyone, not just about the financial situation but about things that could improve in Amherstburg.”

While the financial situation is a concern of his, Rene said he believes Amherstburg needs more investment and also believes festivals and events are important. Regarding the former, he said attracting good paying jobs is something he wants to see happen and, as it relates to the latter, he believes continuing with festivals and events help attract people to town and “expands Amherstburg.”

Rene said he wants to make it a “good town to live in for my children, your children and your neighbour’s children.”

With regards to the recent tax increase, he acknowledged “it was better than it could have been but it should never have gotten to that level in the first place.” Rene said he will not run his campaign identifying people and their mistakes, as he believes the public already knows who made what mistakes.

“It’s time to say these mistakes were made, let’s move forward,” said Rene.

Working cohesively with other council members would also be a priority, if he is elected.

“My opinion is council right now is divided. I believe it’s this group against that group,” he said. “It should be one voice. It should be what is best for the people, not personal agendas.”

Rene said he is even willing to work with other candidates and identify what positives they could bring to the council table.

“I don’t want to be negative towards anybody,” he said. “I feel once you start focusing on the negative, you kind of lose focus on what they bring to the table.”

Being 23-years-old, he wants to inspire more youth to vote but also wants to connect with people of all ages as well.

“I want to be a voice for Amherstburg residents to get to the polls and vote for ideas and opinions they believe in,” said Rene.

Rene added he has been interested in a municipal political career since he was 18.

“For me, it’s the ultimate way of giving back to the community that I’m raising my kids in,” he said.